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Every Saturday, WETA hosts the Fall Movie Festival where we compile exciting, free, and commercial-free movies for you to enjoy in your Maryland, Virginia, and DC homes. Watch these compelling films and documentaries this Saturday November 3!

Action

When words fail, actions speak…and in many cases, the latter can be more attention-grabbing and successful than any combination of words, even from the most eloquent of mouths. Sometimes action is unexpected and though we are not prepared for it, our instincts kick in and we handle each situation accordingly. Other times, it knocks us down repeatedly and we must try again and again, never giving up. Action usually works and though it’s risky, when it pays off we cannot help but to revel in the chance we took. This Saturday night on WETA TV26 and HD, see firsthand examples of taking action in a perfect blend of films.

Taking physical action

Sometimes we feel stuck and an unexpected opportunity for action presents itself. This Saturday, Rocky, a struggling club boxer in Philadelphia supplements his passion and dream of becoming a big-time fighter by working as a debt collector. His talent is often doubted but former boxing trainer Mickey firmly believes Rocky could have succeeded had he worked harder. That knock at the invisible door arrives when the current world’s heavyweight boxing champion, Apollo Creed, proposes the idea of providing a small-time and unknown boxer with the shot at his envied and prestigious title. Upon scoping out Philadelphia’s boxers, Apollo selects Rocky. Hopes, dreams, and words soon turn into hard work, sweat, blood, tears and action as Rocky prepares for the match of a lifetime. Watch Rocky (1976) Saturday November 3 at 9:30pm on WETA TV26 or WETA HD.

Rocky will also air on WETA TV26 and WETA HD on Sunday November 4 at 11:30am.

Long-awaited action

Protecting the planet is a defining feature of the Native American culture. So it should come as no surprise that when faced with the environmentally-harmful consequences of a practice benefiting the pockets of wealthy corporations, Arizona Native American tribes directly affected swiftly took action. The story serving as the inspiration of Power Paths begins in the 1960s when two coal mines opened on the Navajo and Hopi reservations in Arizona. The mines produced enough coal to supply the insatiable energy demands of Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles…but at a significant cost. Over the decades following the opening of the mines, the environment took a detrimental and irreversible hit as did local Native American tribes. The Southwestern skies were polluted, aquifers were drained, and sacred Native American land was scarred. Not to mention, Native Americans living on the reservations had no running water and no access to basic electricity. The health of the Navajo nation’s people suffered also, and cases of cancers were common. Independent Lens: Power Paths follows a tribal coalition’s modern day fight to alter their economies for the better by swapping coal mines and power plants with renewable energy technologies. Success in making the switch would preserve and protect their land, honor their culture, provide their reservation’s homes with basic electricity and create necessary jobs in their own community. Power Paths serves as an example of the entire planet’s current plight; finding alternatives to fossil fuels and going green. It may have taken decades but when action is finally taken, will it be all in vain or for the good of future generations? Watch Power Paths,November 3 at 11:30pm on WETA TV26 or WETA HD and see for yourself.

They were sent to Iraq as cooks, clerks, and mechanics. Some were sent to provide supplies, and others logistical support, to the male troops. But when fighting unexpectedly broke out in the streets of Ramadi in April of 2004, those very women had no choice but to fight alongside their fellow soldiers. In fact, they were needed, and it did not seem to matter that they hadn't undergone combat training. After all, why would they be? The Department of Defense created a policy prohibiting women from ground combat. Despite this, since 2003, the United States military has been going against official policy and utilizing women in a variety of situations, from conducting house-to-house searches of Iraqis to fighting in some of the most violent and bloody battles to have taken place during the war.

Independent Lens: Lioness tells the story of five female U.S. Army soldiers who made history by becoming the first to be sent into direct combat. The group, members of “Team Lioness,” served one year together in Iraq. Told through personal accounts, journal excerpts, archival footage and interviews, Lioness reveals what the media time and again neglected to inform America of; that women are an integral and necessary part of the military in all facets. The women’s individual stories work in tandem to portray the effects of war from a female perspective. Watch Lioness SaturdayNovember 3 at 12:30am on WETA TV26 and WETA HD.

In this scene of Lioness, the women are gathered together after returning from deployment and watch a documentary about the very battle they fought in. Surprisingly, they are purposefully edited out of any shots.